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Wednesday, 30 October 2013

I think I'm menopausal. Is that a word?
Every evening, I sit here at my desk and I'm putting on a sweater because I'm cold and then taking it off because I'm too hot. It's a sudden change, not a gradual heating up. It's like someone turned up the heat, but only in the space I'm in. The only way to explain it really is like a flush of sudden heat. It's October, and the wind is freezing, even when the sun is warm, but I feel like it's August inside.
I'm waking through the night, too hot, throwing the covers off. Then waking again because I'm too cold. I can't get it right, and it feels like being ill. I'm getting more headaches too, but I wonder if that's due to something else. It might be the menopause hormone changes, I used to get a headache once a month but I haven't had a period since July. That isn't odd in itself though. A few years ago I had an endometrial ablation, which left me with little, or no, endometrium while leaving the uterus intact and in place. It worked well, and I've had trouble free cycles ever since, until recently when they went all erratic again - but not flooding like Niagara.
And now they seem to have stopped, and the hot flushes have started.
I'm 44. It's roughly on time. I've been expecting it for a few years, and I'm actually surprised it's taken this long to turn up. I'm not sure what other signs to expect now, I refuse to call them symptoms - that implies it's an illness, it's not. It's just a stage of life, like puberty, like losing milk teeth. So far, it's all very mild and manageable, if annoying at times.
The kids, and cats, don't seem too bothered that I've turned the heating so far down that it rarely even comes on, so I'll leave it as it is for now. It saves on the gas bill anyway!

Sunday, 27 October 2013

OK, so it's not snowing, and I have no roaring log fire - having failed to win the lottery again this weekend - but it's a bit grim outside.
We have a "Severe weather warning", featuring the possibility of flash flooding, strong winds and other storm-like stuff. There's going to be a hurricane... we're all going to die...
Erm, folks? No. We may lose a couple of plants in the garden, especially the unsecured fruit bushes that I've meant to get round to staking properly all summer and still haven't done. We may lose a branch or three from one of the willow trees, especially the one I meant to get round to trimming all summer, but haven't done. We may even lose a tile or two from the roof, or the power might go off for a while.Oh, power. No internet, no kettle! No tea! You have a fair point then, that'd be the end of the world.
Joking aside, and if anyone does suffer property damage then you have my sympathy, it's horrid when stuff gets wrecked, and storms can feel really scary.
But, this storm is not going to go all Katrina on us, it's not going to demolish whole cities, it's not going to flatten your house. There won't be huge twisters threatening to sweep you off to Oz, and you won't have to seek refuge in the local library and burn books to stay alive.
You might not want to be out in it, and it might be really hairy to drive in - which is why I'm staying at home with the doors and windows firmly closed. But unless you're really unlucky, it's not going to do that much damage.
Really, UK residents, stop panicking, it's just weather.We get weather every day, we're good at weather. It's Autumn, and the weather is unsettled - and it should be, it's the season for it.
I'm going to watch the beauty of the storm from inside the house, while snuggled up with my kids, a blanket and the cats, watching a dvd, cuddling a large mug of tea (or hot chocolate) - assuming the power stays on!
It could be so much worse, while watching the storm today and tomorrow, spare a thought for those around the world who lose their homes, all their possessions, and even their lives to weather so much worse than this.

Thursday, 24 October 2013

In March 2012 we moved from the heart of England, to the valleys of South Wales. It's been great for us, we love it here, and don't really miss the old place much. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of happy memories from the old house, and plenty of people we miss, but the actual town? Not really.
So, you know how you see something on facebook, follow a link, and find another link and end up wandering in the internet wilderness?
Yes, that.
I ended up on Google maps, looking at street views and looked up our old address.
Even after we moved I could see our old car on the drive, the chicken pen in the garden and my washing on the line from the overhead view. From street view I could see my car on the drive and my plants in the window.
Not now. They've updated the image and we've gone, wiped away as if we were never there.
The new house, on the other hand, hasn't been updated and we're not here either.
It's a bit sad.

I wanted a space where I could ramble on about life, and knitting, and the weather, and cooking, and my garden, and my new kitchen - and the chaos that will bring. I wanted a place where I could find things I might like if I ever win the lottery. I wanted a place where I can share recipes that worked, and those that failed. I may even share pics of my cats from time to time.
Now and then I might get on one of my soap boxes and rant or get political.
The point is, I wanted a space to be me, to be all of me.
So, I started this blog.
Welcome.